Merry Christmas to All!

Twas the night before Christmas,
and all through the house a creature was stirring, he wasn't a mouse;
the stockings were hung all willy nilly everywhere,
In the hopes that no one would notice they hardly made it there;
Too excited our child was not nestled quietly anywhere not even his bed,
Once he was there visions of sippy cups poured through his head;
Dadda in his plaid PJ bottoms and I in my spit up stained PJ's,
had just settled in for a long Christmas nap (because that's all you get)!


Our Christmas this year was last minute and rushed. My family waiting until the last minute to see if they could brave the roads while a winter storm warning was out. Finally they felt like they could leave so I scurried around to plan dinner, clean and wrap presents. Why wait you ask? Well to be honest I was so depressed about the whole situation I couldn't bring myself to do anything but watch Lifetime, ABC Family and Hallmark channel Christmas movies and yes I loved them all. Now I wait for my family to wake while I watch the ever busy, into everything, drive you crazy toddler version of Gavin. I love him even when I look at my Christmas tree which isn't decorated on the bottom half, even while he pulls every magazine from my beautifully piled stack and throws them on the floor all while pretending to not understand the phrase "don't touch that!" This isn't the Christmas I imagined and I know that it isn't for some of you out there the snow, among other things, threw a curve ball to our Christmas and some of us struck out. I am thinking of all of you this morning as I hustle to put Christmas dinner together. I pray we all make the most of whatever Christmas is this year and hope for a better Christmas next year.

To our health, happiness and abundant blessings in the New Year!
God bless you all!

The James Family

This was Gavin with Santa, a little creepy,
Gavin made the weirdest faces and this was the best one.
Still handsome I think.

P.S. Maybe I'll send out New Year's Cards?

Home again Home again!

After 10 wonderful days in Maui we are home. We had a great time seeing family and hanging out with our friends. Gavin loved the beach, especially the sand. I loved the sunshine and warm weather. Thankfully this time it wasn't as humid as it can be there. Mike I think just enjoyed not working and being somewhere tropical. Other than the fact that the airline broke our stroller (which we never needed anyway thanks to the wonderful ergo baby carrier, have I mentioned that I love that thing and if you don't have one and you have a baby between 0-3 and under 40lbs you should have one) we didn't have anything eventful happen. We whale watched, went to a luau, ate everything from Italian to Vietnamese food and everything in between and loved it! I had the chance to visit my Grandmothers grave twice. The first time I was untouched I felt nothing. I thought that it was strange. The second time it hit me and I bawled like the little girl I am deep inside. We had a great time but I have to say after 10 days I missed my bed. We were welcomed home by single digit weather and a day or two later lots and lots of snow. The kind of snow that breaks every record that we had previously had kind of snow.

I hope you all are safe and warm!

Laziness has settled into a deep corner of my being. I can't shake it. I made a list which almost always motivates me. We leave for our trip at 4:30am day after tomorrow. I am excited, but usually about now I am flittering around the house cleaning and packing and when all is done that can be done I start inventing new things to do. This time though I am not flittering or inventing I am not even cooking myself dinner. Mike left town yesterday afternoon for Missoula and will be back tomorrow and I can't say I have fixed one meal for myself. What is wrong with me? I have had a little cold, Gavin has the beginnings of an ear infection and has been a little clingy but really whats gotten into me. I walked past a sink full of dishes a dozen times today and while a friend of mines voice played in my head "I can't even leave one dish in the sink I have to clean it" I just kept walking. Usually I am awaiting the time that Gavin will go down for a nap or will be eating in his high chair so I can get those dishes clean. Toys are places in my house that only a toddler could put them, yet I don't pick them up. Two enormous suit cases lay half packed on the dining room table (and yes Mom and Auntie your gift for Auntie Lorraine did manage to make it in nestled nicely between swim diapers) and normally I would be putting anything and everything that I could possibly live without for the next day or two in them but I don't. I can't find Gavin's shoes anywhere! He went to his doctors appointment today without shoes. For those concerned he wore a thick hooded jacket and thick socks but no shoes and yes he walked around the doctors office in his socks, I am sorry I couldn't find any shoes anywhere. Usually I hate losing things I freak out and I can't stop thinking about the lost item until it is found or replaced but hopefully found. You know I didn't think twice about my shoeless child today.

I have been in a funk for about a week I can't figure it out. I could speculate and analize but again too lazy or would apathetic be a better word. The only thing I can figure is I need a vacation. Sunshine, my husband, Gavin, family and friends. I hope that I will come back to blogland in about 2 weeks (with lots of pictures) and be back to myself. I will come home and buy and decorate the tree that I don't trust my brother enough to water while we are gone. I will open and nicely display the Snowman collection my Mom and Auntie Liz so nicely gave me a couple days ago (sorry I have no excuse just an explanation and your reading it), I will make Mike hang the lights outside I will go buy the wreath I have been eyeing at Costco (the wreath hanger has been on my door without a wreath since well probably last Christmas if I am honest), I will plan my Christmas shopping (nope not done not even started, lazy remember) and dig out Christmas dinner recipes and all will be right in my world. Yes, a vacation is what I need!

I will be back in more than one sense! Back from Maui and back to myself I just need a vacation or at least that is what I am telling myself. So long for now! I'll be back to blogland soon!

Hugs!
Laura

I should get the boy a back pack for our trip
he was loving this one at Sharon's.
I woke up one day and baby was a toddler.
Everyone says it happens fast and it does!